The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, a claim that Rwanda denies. Kigali, in turn, alleges that Kinshasa collaborates with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu armed group with ties to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an allegation the DRC rejects.

M23 rebels have taken over Bukavu a few weeks after seizing control of Goma. Family members of an SANDF member say he is in hiding after an attack.

The M23 rebel group have captured the city of Goma in the eastern DRC in a major escalation of a drawn-out conflict.